Gauteng Education MEC Lesufi in drive to empower pupils

Gauteng MEC for education and youth development Panyaza Lesufi is confident the department’s goal to change the landscape of township education and transform technical high schools into schools of excellence will become a reality.

Lesufi was speaking at the Technical High School indaba hosted by the department at Sunnyside Park Hotel in Joburg yesterday.

The indaba was aimed at addressing and responding to the acute engineering and technical skills shortage in the country, and to reposition technical education to meet the skills demand for a changing future, including equipping pupils with skills needed for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The event was a platform for various stakeholders, such as principals of technical high schools, schools of specialisation, industry partners, academics and government officials, to interact and find solutions for the skills shortage.

Lesufi said transformed technical high schools would prepare pupils to be able to respond to the demands in a technologically evolving world.

“Through this indaba and industry commitment, pupils will be afforded the opportunity of a quality support programme in the form of workplace experiential learning, coupled with the much-needed experience and job training, to be absorbed into … industry,” Lesufi said.

He said pupils trained through these programmes would have adequate skills to fit into technologically dominated industries.

“Our [pupils] will be adequately skilled before entering the job market, thus increasing their chances in searching for full-time employment and with opportunities for a career and entrepreneurship opportunities.”

The principal of Katlehong Engineering School of Specialisation Jaco Opperman said pupils were offered the opportunity to obtain much-needed experience and skills development.

“We select 20 pupils who completed Grade 12 and passed mathematics, physical sciences and mechanical technology. We sent them to the training centres and I am happy to say that the first group of learners have passed their training and we are looking forward to the next group,” Opperman said.

It was hoped the indaba would serve to “address the skills development challenges and promote growth, facilitate skills development through strategic partnerships, profiling technical or engineering as a desired career of choice to our learners and offer workplace experiential learning during school holidays”, Lesufi said.

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